Supporting RAF Tornado aircraft until their retirement

We have agreed with the UK Ministry of Defence a £125 million extension to the support contract provided by us for the RAF’s Tornado GR4 fleet until the aircraft are due to be retired in 2019.

With the changes to the contract, an estimated £90 million saving to the UK Ministry of Defence has been identified through greater efficiencies in fleet management.

The contract amendment builds on from the original and highly successful Availability Transformation: Tornado Aircraft Contract (ATTAC) which initially started in 2006 and was due to expire in 2016. The ATTAC contract provides the RAF’s front-line with a guarantee that the Tornado aircraft’s availability, capability and effectiveness will be maintained throughout its service life. Including the amendment, the overall contract value for the next 5 years is £490 million. Currently the contract sustains 600 jobs across the UK for BAE Systems.

Nigel Whitehead, Group Managing Director – Programmes and Support at BAE Systems commented:

“I am delighted that we have been able to agree terms to continue to support the RAF’s fleet of Tornado aircraft until their out of service date. The original ATTAC contract has proved highly successful. It’s an excellent example of partnering as it provides an agile and responsive solution to our customer’s needs. This extension will mean we continue to play an essential role in helping the RAF gain operational advantage no matter what the challenge. Everyone involved with ATTAC, from our team to the RAF and the MOD has worked tirelessly to ensure the RAF has Tornados available to support operational requirements whilst ensuring the service delivers value for money.”

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said:

"This investment will ensure our Tornado aircraft continue to be battle ready for the next five years, as a key part of the RAF's fast jet fleet. They currently play a vital role in supporting troops on the ground in Afghanistan and they will continue to form the backbone of our ground attack capability until the Joint Strike Fighter arrives and the Typhoon's ground attack capability is fully mature in a few years' time. This contract will help sustain the specialist skills across the UK which makes Britain a world leader in engineering."

Under the ATTAC contract, we are responsible for providing on and off aircraft maintenance and capability enhancements to meet future requirements of the Tornado GR4 fleet. We support the fleet at RAF Marham in Norfolk and RAF Lossiemouth in Moray.

This contract follows a £100m contract received in January of this year for us to continue to support the RAF’s Typhoon fleet throughout 2014.